Across The Night
by Lori-darling
Summary: When fate grabs ahold of you, you can't escape. But why would you want to? RL/SB. Slash.


**Across the Night – Chapter One**

**Shattered Stars**

Three women looked down upon the heads of the two sleeping children. One was as old as the mountains, clad in brown with thin grey hair covering her wrinkled head. Another was in the prime of her life covered in gold from tawny head to toe and looking peacefully serene and at ease with her life. The other seemed as fresh as a blast of cold wind, blonde hair swirling about her, along with her green dress, she was as young as springtime. 

"I just don't know why you bother Audrey" said the golden headed youth. "They're just two little human boys, why waste time on them?"

"Vivian," replied the golden woman, "you are not yet old enough to understand the subtleties of human fate, but I assure you when you reach my age you will. Now, notice that both of these children have lives that are ill afforded to them, and don't pretend that you can't see it Vivian, because I know you can."

"Hmph."

"You can see that what awaits them is not entirely good…not good at all I would say, so I intend to give them a little happiness while it lasts. Don't you think that that's a good idea?"

"Yes,  I suppose, but I still don't understand why you bother."

"Because we're fates Vivian. It's what we're supposed to do!"

"I'd rather go and visit Carlyle, or watch something that is at least a little interesting. Don't you agree?" Vivian asked, stifling a yawn.

"Yes well, I'm sure you would…but other's around here like to do their jobs, and this is my little project. Look at them down there, so sweet, so innocent, how can you not wish to give them happiness while we can? Gretchen, don't you think so?" Audrey addressed the old crone.

"Yes, happiness. We all know what will befall them."

"Well, I guess I'll stay if Old Mother thinks it wise. But, oh how I'd rather be somewhere else." Vivian moaned. 

"We'll see in a few years whether you still feel that way dear. Now, let's be friends again and watch over these little boys, the Gods know they need it."

"Faites attention mon chéri"   
  
"J'enfanterai. You know I'm always careful, Mama! The forest loves me, and I can't get hurt in there."  
  
"Oui. Je sais. Still be careful Remus. Be home for supper tonight. I love you!"  
  
"Je t'aime aussi!"   
  
The day, a late spring day, was beautiful, and Remus Lupin hurried away from his house to be in the forest that he loved so much. He had always loved the forest, for as long as he could remember. It called to him, and when it called, Remus could not deny it. He would pack up his things, tell his mother that he loved her, and slip out into the wilderness that he felt so much a part of. He was a fearless child, and he was never scared underneath the sheltering canopy of the trees.   
  
On this particular spring day, Remus wandered along paths that were worn into the ground. No leaf litter covered them, and Remus suspected that they had been trodden since the beginning of time. It certainly felt like it to him. The air was still, warm, and felt like golden honey, and smelt of Earth as he pushed farther and farther into the forest that was like a brother to him. The day wore on, and Remus still walked in the shade, discovering places he had never been before, trees he had never climbed, and areas that were stilled in time. It was dusk when Remus found himself turning for home. The air was starting to chill, and he was reminded of his mother's words. He had to be home for supper!  
  
He turned his tawny head up to the trees, and said in an almost holy whisper, "Please forest, lead me home. I can't keep Mama waiting. She will worry so much. Show me the fastest way home please!" A wind rustled the branches of the trees above, and Remus decided that indeed, the forest would lead him home to his Mama, because that's where he wanted to be. He set one foot in front of the other, and started on his journey home.  
  
The paths led him in the right direction, he could feel it, just feel it, and he silently thanked the forest for listening to him. The moon was rising over the top of the mountains, a great big full moon that was as bright as a shiny Galleon. If there was something that Remus loved as much as the forest, it was the moon. Remus loved it's milky light. It wasn't gaudy like the sun; that show off of the heavens, or even twinkly like the stars, though he still liked those. It was…the moon, and he loved it for that very virtue. He hurried, for it was getting late indeed if the moon was out, and though he loved it when inside and toasty warm in front of the fire, the night time was a time of evil dark creatures that thought that little boys were tasty.  
  
The temperature had dropped; it was cold, very cold, and the forest seemed not so much a brother as an enemy now. Branches whipped his little face as he raced along, fuelled by thoughts of his poor Mama, waiting for her Remus. It was at the very moment that he could see the twinkling lights of his house that he heard it. THE GROWL. It was a grating sound, like fingernails scraping a blackboard, or Mrs Hasham's cats scratching glass. But it was so much worse! Oh, it made his spine tingle, and he could do nothing, he was frozen in fear. He turned slowly and he saw IT. Slathering, drooling, teeth bared in an almost smile, nose twitching with his scent. Remus looked at IT, and backed up slowly, thinking all the while of his Mama, who was waiting all alone for her Remus, and what would she think if he didn't come home? But that little movement was all it took for IT to bound towards him, growling again, teeth bared. And Remus cried out. His Mama! He had to get home! He turned and ran.   
  
He could feel IT behind him, getting closer and closer. But oh the gate was close too! If he could just keep ahead of it, for just a little bit and he'd be safe in his Mama's arms, and this would be nothing but a nightmare. Remus ran, as hard as he could, but just as he was in range of the gate to his home, he felt IT grab him from behind, with it's giant claws that threatened to keep him from his Mama forever. He screamed. IT was on top of him now, looking over him, tongue lolling out the side of the slobbering, filthy mouth. Remus cried and prayed fervently "Non. Non. Mama! Svp, ne me tuez pas! Mama!" IT licked its teeth and closed in on Remus' soft skin. It seemed to Remus just then that the sky shattered above him. That the stars broke up in the darkness, that the moon caught fire, shards of Moonlight sliced into his flesh, burning, as if branding him with hot iron. Through the haze of pain and moonlight that overtook his senses, he could hear commotion, screams. His Mama.  
  
'Je suis mere désolée, so sorry,' were the last coherent thoughts Remus had before he, just like the sky, shattered into a million desolate pieces.  
  
Across the night, another little boy was having a dream, a dream that would haunt him for years to come…  
  
  


It ran through his head. Like a film. Like music. It was beautiful. It scared him. It always came, right on time, once a month. With the moon. Of course, he didn't notice that until he was older, but it still happened. It was sad, and strange, and made him feel like he'd never felt before. Like something was surrounding him, and he'd never felt so safe in his life. He knew it was a dream, but when he was seven years old that didn't seem important. What was important was the fact that he never missed it. That it always happened.

It always started just the same. With the Bad Sound, that was what he called it. The Bad Sound. As he got older, he realised it was a howl, but it sounded almost like a scream. After the Bad Sound, there was a feeling of pain. Such pain he knew he could never feel in his entire life. It was unearthly, unreal, heart wrenching. But then, oh then, after the Bad Sound and the Pain then it came. He felt as if he were flying with both his feet still on the ground. He was as fast as the wind, like air itself racing along the ground. He was free, and nothing could touch him. But then, just as it had started, it stopped. The freedom that is. And suddenly, he felt as if he couldn't do anything but cry. Tears like crystals fell from his eyes, but they weren't bad tears. No. He couldn't explain what sort of tears they were exactly, but they weren't bad, or sad. From there, the dream was always different. Sometimes the free feeling came back, sometimes the tears just kept on falling, and sometimes the pain came back. And then the dream ended, just as the first rays of sun peeked over the mountains to the east, and Sirius opened his eyes. It was gone. All the detail lost in nothingness, but what remained was what kept him waiting until the next month. A little bit of memory, or recollection, or insight. He could hardly wait until the next time it happened. 

He didn't understand it at first. He was only little. But month by month year by year he realised that there was someone else in his dream…that the other person was feeling the pain and that he, Sirius, was only edging in, feeling little bits of it. And what he wouldn't do to stop that other person from feeling that pain, crying those tears, screaming that scream. And month by month, year by year, the little boy with the black hair, and the cobalt eyes, realised that he cared more for the person in his dreams than he'd ever cared for anyone in his life. That this unknown person (did they even really exist?) was already his best friend. And so the dreams came month after month, year after year, and each was the same with tears, and freedom, and pain that shattered the stars in the sky. And month by month, year by year, Audrey watched, delighted, while Vivian amused herself with trivial little things, and not at all with love.


End file.
